This moist mixed fruit loaf cake is inspired by the rich, dark loaf in your photo. Packed with raisins, sultanas, chopped dates, and dried cranberries, it has a tender, closely textured crumb and a beautifully browned crust. Strong black tea softens the dried fruit before baking, while brown sugar, butter, and warm spices give the cake its comforting flavor.
Unlike a light sponge cake, this fruit loaf is pleasantly substantial, making it ideal for slicing and serving with tea or coffee. The fruit provides plenty of sweetness and keeps the inside moist, while a little orange zest adds freshness. An optional apricot glaze creates a gently glossy finish similar to the pictured loaf.
This version contains no alcohol and requires no electric mixer. It also tastes even better the following day, once the moisture has settled throughout the cake and the flavors have developed.
Ingredients
For the soaked fruit:
1 cup (150 g) raisins
1 cup (150 g) sultanas or golden raisins
½ cup (75 g) dried cranberries
½ cup (75 g) pitted dates, chopped
¾ cup (180 ml) hot, strong black tea
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
For the cake batter:
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
For the optional glaze:
2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam
1 teaspoon water
Instructions
1. Soak the dried fruit
Place the raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries, and chopped dates in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the hot black tea over the fruit and stir in the orange zest. Cover and leave for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally, or refrigerate overnight.
The fruit should become plump and softer. This step helps prevent it from drawing too much moisture out of the cake during baking.
2. Prepare the oven and pan
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C), or approximately 285°F (140°C) for a fan oven. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Leave some parchment extending above the long sides so you can lift out the baked loaf. If the fruit was refrigerated, take it out while preparing the other ingredients.
3. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid
Tip the soaked fruit into a sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for about 5 minutes without pressing it dry. Reserve the liquid.
Measure ¼ cup (60 ml) of the reserved tea. If there is less than this, add enough fresh tea or water to reach the amount. Keeping the liquid measured helps produce a consistent batter.
4. Cream the butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until lighter and well combined, about 2–3 minutes.
The mixture does not need to become extremely fluffy. However, the butter should be soft enough to blend smoothly, with no large lumps remaining.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
If the mixture looks slightly curdled, add a tablespoon of the measured flour and mix briefly. This can happen when the eggs are cooler than the butter and usually will not affect the finished cake.
6. Mix the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Distributing the baking powder evenly is particularly important in a dense fruit cake. It helps the loaf rise consistently without leaving pockets of raising agent in the crumb.
7. Finish the batter
Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the measured ¼ cup of tea. Mix gently until no dry flour remains.
Fold in the drained fruit and orange zest. The batter should be thick and spoonable, with enough mixture to coat all the fruit. Avoid vigorous beating once the flour has been added.
8. Fill the loaf pan
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into the corners. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Press any exposed pieces of fruit lightly into the batter to reduce scorching. Leave approximately 1 inch of space above the batter; if your pan is unusually shallow, bake excess batter separately in a lined muffin cup.
9. Bake until cooked through
Bake on the middle oven rack for 75–90 minutes. Start checking at 70 minutes because pan material and oven performance can affect the baking time.